St George's Avenue 1906, Addlestone
St George's Avenue 1906, Addlestone Ref: 53419
Memories of St George's Avenue 1906, Addlestone
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Addlestone & local memories
Read and share memories of Addlestone and Surrey inspired by Frith photos.
Saturday Jobs
My first job as a Saturday girl (1974) was working at a newsagents called Jarman's on the right of this photo on the corner of the road which led to the police station and infants school Darley Dene. I remember having to weigh snuff and having to use an old-fashioned till where you had to add up the items and press down the correct keys to show the total in the top window. I worked for a lady called Molly - she was still there in the 1980's. I think I earned about 60p for a Saturday afternoon.
Addlestone 1946 - 64
I lived in Addlestone for almost twenty years and still have family there. My memories are St Paul's School - Infants through to Secondary Modern; the Red Room, which was definitely haunted, according to my school friends; the youth club in the grounds of the infants school where I saw the Nashville Teens play; a kids club of some sort in Church Road; adolescent love for Lawrence Lord who went to Ottershaw Boys School, a guy called John who lived in Caselden Close and various others whose names escape me; howing thyme at Smiths Farm for about 2/6 a day; the carnival when my Dad always dressed my bike for the Best Bicycle Competition; Traylens Funfair; The Dinky and Crowns Coffee Bars; the planned punch up between the Teds from Walton and the lads from Addlestone which never happened ;cos the fuzz got wind of it and which I wouldn't have seen anyway because my mum grounded me; Weyman's, Peto Scott and the Dental Factory where my Dad worked;... Read more
Smiths Farm
I paddled below it and made camps in the cut hay and hid in the barns, who are you?
Co-Op
Yes I went to the Sunday dandies at the Co-op, it was there that I meat the most beautiful girl, my girlfriend Jill. But being stupid I left her, and to this day I am still in love with her.
The Dance
There you are thinking of Jill dance I MEAN .
Mum, Dad And Me
I am not too sure where my mum worked, I'll have to think about that one. I had a job at Peter Scott where they made TV sets and radio grams. I also worked at John Lewis, tying to learn how to make furniture. My dad was a brilliant plasterer along with his partner, a Mr Browne. Oh yes, I went to full time board training collage to learn to make hand-made furniture and got my City & Guilds. I hope anyone who worked at John Lewis reads this as most if not all who worked there hated me. Bad days there, never mind who cares. My mum comes from Belfast, my dad was in the navy. My friends and I went for a swim at Weybridge locks.
Crockford Bridge
Yes, right by Smiths farm, the river and farm are my old hunting grounds. If you think you know me let's talk.
Born in Prairie Road, Addlestone
I was born at 53 Prairie Road in 1964, my earliest memory is going to school in Chapel Park Infants School, Chapel Avenue, then we up to infants school in School Lane and then over the road to the juniors which I think used to be the boys school, I think at the time the new middle school was being built, and eventually ended up at St Paul's middle school and on to the secondary school. I remember my mum taking me to get new school uniform to the Co-op and I was fascinated by the little tubes that they would put the money in and send it up the pipes and it would come back with your change and Co-op stamps. As a teenager I would spend many a happy hour "up the town" and buying make-up in Woolworths or buying a single record in what I think was Spittles, I remember they used to cost about 50p. My mum worked in the launderette by the station next... Read more
My Memories of Addlestone
Fashion shows with a cup of tea and a biscuit in the Copop on a Saturday. When I was younger the Co-op ran a sports day and we all got a goody box with cream cakes cakes and a suprise of fruit. We shopped at Parrs at the top of the Dukes Head crossroads, I can still remember the smell of the cured bacon. Our order was delivered by a man on a bike. Burges the bakers delivered our bread. We had our shoes repaied at Pigotts in Station Road and I went to both day school and boarding school with Dudly Piggot. Went to school on the bus from the bus garage and stood atop the bridge while the trains ran below and engulfed us in steam from the trains below. Airscrew and Weymonds were the biggest employers. Traylens fun fair came every year, last week in July first in August. We got our meat from Chambers butchers and I remember Alma Chambers as Carnival Queen and went to... Read more
Memories of The Co-Op
I remember the Sunday dances at the Co-Op hall well. My mum used to work in the cloakroom and I went with her. We would take the coats in, I would go out and dance (thought I was great and grown up) then I would help give the coats out. I was about 8 when I started. I remember seeing The Applejacks, Georgie Fame and of course the Rhubarb Thrashers. Hha ha. I also remember going to the fashion shows they had at the Co-Op on a Saturday afternoon, we would go in and try on all the hats and get thrown out. Great memories.
Jarmans - Station Road
My mum, Irene White, worked in Jarmans on Station Road - just where it joins Crouch Oak Lane. It was probably in the very early 1940s before she joined the WAAFs.
She told the story that her boss said you can eat as many sweets as you like, assuming that most people would get fed up with them pretty quickly - not mum, she kept her sweet tooth all her life.
Station Road
I couldn't believe when I came across this picture. In 1950 I was born just above the shop (the first blind on the left). The shop was Reliant Shoe Repairs owned by my late father Arthur Piggott who was very well known in Addlestone. The single story building next to it was Mrs Martins Cafe, and me and my brother Bernard had many a cup of tea there. We lived in Addlestone until the end of 1965 then moved to Farnborough Hampshire.
The family now live in many parts of the world now. My two sisters (Janet and Barbara) live in Canada, my younger brother Bernard emigrated to New Zealand (but now lives in The Philipines and sadly my parents and youngest brother have past away.
As for me, I live and work in Tbilisi, Georgia and apart from the odd Russian invasion is quite peaceful. Georgia in many ways is like England in the 1950's which I guess is why I like it here.
Dudley Piggott,... Read more
Martha Ward
Hi Rosemary,
Once again I found you very heplful, you sent me info on Princess Mary Homes. I followed it up and found them very helpful, only trouble is other people on same page (not covered by freedom of information) will have to wait for another couple of years until the next census to find out where she went when leaving the home.
Thanking you once again for taking trouble to answer.
Regards, Shirley (Ken Epps)
White Hart Lock
I believe this to be the White Hart Lock at New Haw situated at the junction of Woodham Lane and the turning off over the White Hart bridge which led to Byfleet station. I do believe also that the cottage featured in a film, which I think was War Of The Worlds. As youngsters we often took a short cut off the Byfleet Road to cut through to what we called the Nine Arches, passing under this structure we would in the summer go swimming and hopefully meet girls. This area was also close to the banked corners of Brooklands Race Track.
Addlestone Crossing
After getting off the bus from New Haw we would walk to Nan & Grandad's house. Passing over the crossing there was Wells Boot Stores on the right just before Alexandra Road. Down here, over the river, the Laundry and Taylor & Pentons on the left. I think Taylor & Penton made furniture for John Lewis, I do know my Aunt Elsie and my Grandfather (Walter Godfrey) worked there, Auntie in the office and Grandad as Night Watchman. Now on to 37 Byron Road for tea and pocket money.
Trips to Co-Op
The bus ride into Addlestone from New Haw took about 15 minutes. We were taken on a regular basis either to see our Grandparents who lived in Byron Road or shop at the Co-op, which took up a large part of the High Street. In order for us to be kitted out with clothes and shoes mum would have taken out a Provident Loan. Later in the early 60s I purchased a new racing bike I was very excited as it was a hand built Reg Harris racer with alloy wheels, centre pull brakes and a wad of gears. I had only been riding it a couple of days when I hit a drain and the front wheel folded.
Sunday dances at the Co-0p Hall were very popular and featured well known bands such as Dave Berry & The Cruisers, Amen Corner and Desmond Dekker & The Aces.
Girls Names
I am looking for information on my grandmother who is listed as being at Princess Mary Village in Addlestone in the 1901 census. We have been able to ascertain she left there in March 1908. Does anyone have a list of the names of the girls in this particular image.
The New Lock
This looks like the bridge over the canal at the Addlestone / New Haw border but I can't be sure. If it is I remember my parents taking us there (early 70's) to watch them put in new lock gates. The gates have the year engraved into them. I also believe that the lock keepers cottage, which I think is the house on the left, was used as a location for a film (about time travellers?).
New Gates
We used to love watching the trains come through and were sad when they brought in the barriers. I used to travel from Addlestone Station to Egham to attend Strode's College on the old trains which had corridors and compartments! Sounds ancient but was only 1977-79! From the train we could see the new line being built to accomodate the train once the M25 was completed!
Home Village 1948 to 1965.
I lived in Rudge Rise Addlestone from the age of 8 (Rowtown before that) and worked at Peto Scott and Aerco T/V and record shop, which was situated near the traffic lights with Natwest bank on one corner and the Dukes Head pub on another. The CO-OP hall was the place to be, with jazz and pop groups playing most Saturday nights. I played there in a group and eventually became a founder member of the Addlestone/Weybridge group the NASHVILLE TEENS, which had hit records 'Tobacco Road' and 'Google Eye'. I remember the milk cooling tower at the CO-OP which health and safety would have closed down nowadays. Are there any photos of said tower? To see a London red bus turn up at the bus garage, where the buses were green, was a simply delight. When I return to Addlestone I always have beer in the King George pub, because that was where we rehearsed 'Tobacco Road' and 'Google Eye'. Another bit of fun was to stand on the footbridge at the rail station... Read more
My Twin
Ray is my twin brother, he was the one with all the brains, really, really smart. And of course Joy, lovely Joy, God took Joy from us many, many years ago.
The Old Millpond
Well, I was born in 1944 and brought up down Bourneside Road, number 97. And always went up to Smiths farm and the mill pond, my home.
Aerco
Aerco was started by my grandfather, Thomas Ricketts after the war. He was an engineer and Aerco sold and repaired early radios and the first TVs, hence the name Addlestone Electrical Radio Company! I believe there were two locations for the shop before it moved to Chertsey Road in Woking. Whilst in Addlestone, I believe it was in Station Road, nearer the High Street end. There was a flat above. My mother as a young teenager worked in the shop, and it is where she and my father met. My father's sister was living in the flat above and he was visiting her! A young Tom Voysey also worked with Tom Ricketts, until he moved to Australia with his wife, Margaret, on the 10 shilling fare. Tom Ricketts, and his wife, Vi, lived in Woodham Park Road, New Haw, for many years. They had a big garden with a coal shed, worktools shed, play shed, apples storage sheds, a chicken shed and the cat shed! There was an outside loo down the... Read more
Bygone Memories of Happy Days
Looking at some of these old photos of Addlestone bought back some happy memories, even though there were some hard times, at least for my parents, such as going down the air raid shelters which was in Victoria Park. We lived in Courland Road, No 6. Next door were the Butlers. I remember going to the Plaza cinema which was in Station Road. As my brothers and I got older, we worked for Sidney I Pyle Haulage which were in the station yard, with Drake Mount, and the Co-op, and had many a good night in the Holley Tree pub, and the Magnet pub which was on the corner of Crouch Oak Lane. All bygone memories, all my brothers have now passed on. I'll see them soon!
Living at Billsfield House in Addlestone
My father was in the USAF, stationed at West Drayton from 1956-1959. In 1956 we rented a large, beautiful home named Billsfield in Addlestone. We also had friends in the village who owned a bicycle shop - their last name was Hobbs - the father was John and he had a daughter named Mary. I have been trying to find any information I can on Billsfield and John & Mary Hobbs. If anyone remembers either or both I would appreciate your input. Thank you, Carol - Yucaipa, CA
Childhood in Addlestone
I have many memories of Addlestone having lived there from 1940 to 1964. My family lived in Bourneside Road, at the far end was Coxes Lock Mill and the mill pond. We knew almost everybody that lived on Bois Hall estate. I attended St. Augustines Infant School and then St. Pauls Girls School. There were lots of factories in and around Addlestone, Weymanns, Sheermetalcraft, Airscrew, Peto Scotts, Rival Lamps, Coombelands Printing to name but a few. When the factories finished for the day there were many cylists lining up at Addlestone Station waiting for the gates to open. During the Coronation Year many local events were held. We had sports on the Green in Bourneside Road where Alec & Eric Bedser the famous cricket twins presented the prizes. There were many individual shops all up and down Station Road and High Street. Also there was the Plaza Cinema, we saw many a film there. There was Princess Mary's Village Homes in Crouch Oak Lane and this was patronised by Royalty.... Read more
